Plans For City Roadside Memorial Sign Program to Go Before Commission Thursday

Pasadena’s Transportation Advisory Commission is expected to vote Thursday on Pasadena’s Department of Transportation’s proposed Roadside Memorial Sign Program, which seeks to memorialize the victim of a fatal crash while at the same time raising the awareness of traffic safety to motorists, during its 4:00 p.m. meeting.

The commission was supposed to vote on the proposed program during its meeting last April 28. But instead of voting on it, the commissioners sent back the proposal back to the DOT for some modifications.

The proposed Roadside Memorial Sign Program would allow the city to display a safety message “that humanizes the individual victims of traffic collisions while also honoring their memory.”

While Pasadena has an existing Public Monument Policy for the installation of monuments, memorial plaques and other works of art to commemorate individuals or groups, the DOT said the policy is not well-suited for a pedestrian roadside memorial program as it requires that the person that should be memorialized should be deceased for at least five years.

The proposed Roadside Memorial Sign program requires that signs be requested by the family of a victim of a fatal crash through their local Council District office.

The request can be made six months after the collision.

At the previous hearing, commissioner asked DOT to replace TAC as the approval body for placement of memorial signs under the program.

Under the revised proposal, the Director of the Director of the DOT will be the approval authority.

The revised proposal states that once the proposed installation of a memorial sign is approved, the DOT will determine the specifics of the sign design and location, and work with public works to install the sign.

The city will pay for the cost of the installation and will maintain the sign for a period of seven years.

After the said period, should the sign require replacement, the cost shall be paid by the requesting family.

The upcoming meeting of the TAC will take place solely by teleconference. To access the meeting, visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82071655558